Paints, Pate put hearts pulsating

In the only Angkor Beer Cambodian Basketball League game played on Saturday at the Olympic Stadium indoor arena, Davies Paints pipped Pate 310 at the post 83-80.

The organisers were left with no choice but to reschedule some of the other matches this week to make way for a volleyball event.

Any dismay caused by the shortened program was made up for the fans by the thriller that Pate and Paints delivered.

It was evident Paints were under huge pressure to make amends for their loss to the Emperors a week ago.

With a refurbished Pate pitching themselves this season as one of the fancies for the title, it came as no surprise that the intensity on the court often touched frenzied levels.

The return of Aimar Sabayo, who missed the Emperors game, was a boost to Paints. Yet Pate remained unfazed and battled on equal terms till they slipped up in the dying moments of the fourth quarter.

Paints led 67-55 in the last 10 minutes of the game, but Pate were in no mood to let their rivals skip away. With Sok Tour producing a few easy lay-ups from several steals, Paints’ lead began to shrink by the minute.

With 50 seconds to go Ouch Phanat knotted the score at 80 with his second three-pointer moments after he had landed one with a dash of luck.

In the frenzy of the last 20 seconds, Janna Cunanan was on the foul line for Paints. His first free throw was in, but his second rimmed out. To Paints good fortune, however, Cunanan was fouled again by Pate on the rebound.

He could only convert one of the two free throws, but in a desperate attempt to wrest the initiative Pate committed an infraction on Sabayo, who promptly found the basket with his one free throw, leaving Pate with the task of firing a three-pointer in five frustrating seconds to save themselves from defeat. They couldn’t.